Al Qaeda is determined to make the fragile African nation of Mali a safe haven, and the terrorist threat from the network's affiliate in that country, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, "is spreading while we speak," a senior European official said Wednesday.

"We know the hard way that if al Qaeda fighters have a free zone they'll try to attack us all over the place," the official said. "We consider AQIM the growing, and maybe the leading, threat against us."

The official's concerns echoed worries of American national security officials. The al Qaeda affiliate has gotten increased scrutiny after the recent deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. officials have said there are signs extremists responsible for the attack were affiliated with or inspired by AQIM.

The official, who spoke to reporters in Washington, compared Mali to Afghanistan under the Taliban, describing Mali as a "failed state." The official spoke on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.
The country is being referred to as "Sahelistan," a reference to the Arabic word used to refer to the broad swathe of land in the north of African stretching between the Atlanta Ocean and the Red Sea.

AQIM, officials say, is heavily armed thanks to drug and arms smuggling, as well as kidnappings of foreigners. Six French nationals, for example, have been kidnapped in the region.

"We in the United States are deeply concerned about the ongoing situation in Mali," Johnny Carson, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told reporters at a briefing Wednesday in New York. "We think that Mali is an enormously complicated situation."

Pointing to AQIM as well as another associated group, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, Carson said, "Both of these groups have been responsible for the desecration of historical writings and buildings and artifacts in Timbuktu. They are responsible for trying to impose Sharia law on various parts of northern Mali. They are responsible for terrorism, for kidnapping, and for robbery. This is an issue that must be dealt with through security and military means."

In an interview with the Voice of America, Carson said many of AQIM's senior leadership and members are non-Malians, "people who have come in from the region, who have come in from Algeria, who have come in from Mauritania, who have come in from Libya and other places. This is a terrorist group and the response to that must be a security, military response."

The United States wants Mali to accept an intervention force from the Economic Community of West African States because the country is incapable of adequately countering AQIM fighters.

"The Malian military has been broken," Carson told VOA. "It is now in need of restructuring and repair and rehabilitation. It should accept the support, the camaraderie, the mentoring and the friendship of other ECOWAS states as it attempts to get itself together so that it can help address the issues of terrorism in the northern part of the country, as well as humanitarian support."

The United States, Carson told reporters in New York, "has been appalled by the destruction of many of Mali's valuable historical texts, by the destruction of mosques and historically important buildings, and by the attempt to impose extremist ideology on the communities."

"Clearly," he says, "some action must be taken but ... it should be well-planned, well-organized, well-executed and well-resourced."

Mali has asked the U.N. Security Council for a resolution that would authorize an ECOWAS-led military force to fight rebels in the northern part of the country.

The senior European official said countries concerned about Mali hope they can have a U.N. resolution in the coming weeks that would authorize military action.

"It's a question of weeks," the official said, "not months."

Asked whether the United States might launch unilateral military strikes against AQIM in Mali, the European official said, "There is such close coordination on Mali and the Sahel that I doubt there will be unilateral U.S. action."

But the official added, "We are happy the American side is investing heavily in (countering) AQIM."

soundoff(188 Responses)

amarjeet

Terrorists always are born, bred and brought up in no man land or no governance land. It is a challenge to world bodies & world richest to develop these barren countries with their intellectual & political resources.

Pakistani genie is out of the bottle. Yes it is true, al Qaeda are spreading through out the poverty stricken, illiterate Muslim countries. We need to stop them. We can afford another Pakistan in African continent.

Most of the People who have posted have spiritual and/or soul issues that need attending too as a matter of urgency. Most of you are incapable of living in a peaceful loving society where people live in harmony, you bunch sound like violent violent adreneline junkies

Before 9/11 and drone warfare, Al-Queda and groups like it(Red Brigade, IRA etc) could setup shop in a given country where the government was either supportive(Quadfi's Libya, East Germany) or at least indifferent if not friendly(Afghanistan). There they could train plan and look for opportunities. Pre 9/11 we were hobbled by a foreign policy where we wanted everyone to like us, and didn't want to seem like a 'bully' and would only strike in the event of an overt act. The attack on the USS Cole, the bombing of embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. And even then, the attack would be a one-off, unsustained effort. If we missed, too bad, also we'd be using cruise missiles at $1.5Million per shot(expensive) and at the end of the day not very precise(Yes, it could fly through the window we wanted, but couldn't confirm if anyone was inside)

Post 9/11, after seeing what happens when we let a hostile ideology more intent on attacking us rather than improving the lives of those around them fester unchecked. The gloves came off. We get chatter(radio intercepts, tapped phone calls, emails, informants, youtube videos) from someone in the boondocks of an enemy state, or even a friendly one, their name goes on the kill list.

Enter the MQ1 Predator and its successor the MQ9 Reaper drones. Remotely piloted armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles at $100,000 per shot, a bargain compared to the Tomahawk. So instead of 6-12 $1.5Million Tomahawks launched from a $1Billion nuclear sub you have 1 $100,000 Hellfire fired from a $40Million Reaper.

The economics of assassinating(or the current euphemism 'targeted killing) our enemies changed RADICALLY.

al qaeda...like ALL terrorist organizations MUST be stopped. They should be hunted down like the crazy, wild animals they are ! Prehaps bounties of high $$$ values would be a good incentive especially among the poverty areas where they seem to prey on for support and recruits !

The $5,000 bounty we are offering in places like Yemen and Pakistan has lead to us blowing up hundreds of innocent civilians. Why? Because it's very easy for someone to say the guy down the street is a terrorist and we call in the drone strikes. As bad as that is the bigger point is who is funding the terrorist? We are the ones creating instability in these countries in order to extend U.S. hegemony. Read Zbigniew Brzezinski Grand Chessboard if you get a chance. If you don't believe me google Qumu and Libyan ambassador killed. Ask yourself why we let this go but kept guys like Adnan Latif. The government does some dumb things but they aren't this dumb.

Terrorists use those civilians as human shield because of sheep like you.

October 5, 2012 at 9:54 am |

George Patton

Muslim countries with masses of illiterate, fundamentalists, are better off with their dictators. Qaddafi, Assad, Saddam, Arafat, Mubarak, Musharraf, Ahmadinejad, Joseph Kony were the right people their countries.

Has cnn just become a propaganda machine for war? First we have "Syrian Danny" then that completely bogus report on civilian deaths from drone strikes now this bulls***. Who overthrew Qadaffi? Where did those Libyan "rebels" come from and who armed them? Maybe just maybe if we quit partnering with violent groups to overthrow governments those same violent groups wouldn't be growing in strength. Here's a prediction that Stevie Wonder could see coming... If the "rebels" in Syria overthrow Assad there will be stories about how "terrorists" are threatening saudia arabia or some other country in the middle east. Romney is all for this bs just like Obama so don't think it is going to stop if you elect a warmonger that goes by a different name. It's a hustle for more war and cnn, msnbc, fox, new york times and everyone else in the corporate press are banging the drums of war. Read the foreign press and alternative media if you want an idea about what's going own. Our press died many years ago.

They have shown up here. Several times. Least of which was when they knocked down the trade center and killed all those folks in New York. Not caring about them is how this sort of stuff happens. Wise up.

Al Qaeda has never shown up here in the USA, because "al Qaeda" does not exist. It's merely an intelligence nom de plume, a nickname given to whoever is in the crosshairs of our intelligence agency. It literally means "the Cell", as in whichever cell they happen to be currently discussing. The perpetrators of the 9-11 attacks were the Egyptian and Saudi coordinated chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, not "al Qaeda".

The USA did show the world after 9-11, We bombed and occupied Afghanistan. We still use drones on Terrorists groups everyday. They have not messed up with China or any country in Asia-Pacific as yet. And, I hope they don't mess up with those Asia-Pacific countries. Those Asians will have no mercy in war, and they will win.

More evidence that our foreign policy is at the nadir under Mahdi Obama. Al Qaeda is just one of hundreds, perhaps thousands of violent, fundamentalist Islamic groups. And so the match is being lit to the fuse of WWIII. But then, with Obama in office, we don't NEED to be attacked by a foreign enemy – he's already here...

1) Step one, create chaos and instability
2) Make people fear for their safety. Cause businesses to fail, fracture an already weakened economy.
3) Once people are in fear long enough, they will accept any form of government that provides safety and restores an environment similar to what they had before. Even if that means accepting the people causing the chaos.
4) Install a muslim government with sharia law

DONE !

So they use fear and intimidation to install their own form of government.

Why was was my comment about how this mess was caused by the Libya intervention not posted CNN? All these other racist trailer park sub human, neanderthal tape worm pigs have posted 20 times the same ignorant irrelevant garbage, yet you did not post my comment?

hmmmm... wasn't this the obvious outcome? ... isn't the best place for such activity a destabilized region? hmmmm? ... Seems like this "arab spring" movements happened specifically for this reason... oh and not to mention that most of the overthrown leaders were saying it was al Qaeda doing it? Hmmm.. so who is al Qaeda really working for? Wake up America! Wake up Muslim world! Your both being played by the same party.

Drones. Limit the spread of Islamic imperialism with drones. They should be there now.

October 4, 2012 at 12:25 pm |

jack 1

Should we pay them?

October 4, 2012 at 4:49 pm |

Mark

I only hope that US doesn't do anything. I am tired of spending my US tax dollars fighting other people's wars. If AQIM defeat the country and take it over, who cares as long as they aren't coming directly after us. The US needs to work on establishing proper policies and balancing its own needs, instead of pretending to be the world's police. We should have no comment on how they want to manage their art work, historical monuments, or anything else that is ultimately the responsibility of that government.

I agree with you. Americans don't want to spend money in these countries for wars. But now, we have to realize that our American govt has been highjacked by the Muslim Brotherhood, clearly using our power and military might to gain their advantage in the world. It won't be about Middle East culture in the Middle East. It will be about Islam for the world. And for that, we need to ask ourselves if we're even fighting on the right side.

October 4, 2012 at 12:25 pm |

DBLE J

Honestly, Obama was only trying to defeat them so they wouldn't threaten US citizens and the US has nothing to do with this situation unless the UN gets involved in an more inner stance.

If you had been following the news even a little bit, you would have known that the US/NATO intervention in Libya is what led to the instability in Mali. Fighters from the Libya war went into Mali and took over the Northern part and a series of events spiraled Mali into chaos. Now Mali a once moderate Muslim nation has been largely overtaken by hardline Islamists who are chopping of hands and adhering to other sharia laws.

October 4, 2012 at 11:50 pm |

Anon

Yeah, because Romney would just insult them until they attacked first.

One addition. When you push a country that isn't ready to handle the responsibilities of democracy, democracy the result can only be disasterous. Countries need to develop at their own pace and choice. Other countries, including the US, needs to take their nose out of their business and stop trying to tell them how to live.

Afterall, how well did that work for every other country we did it to. Not one worked, not one.

Not only that, but the democracy our government has been promoting overseas is a democracy for the minority. It's not a republic, not a majority rules. It's a specific mindset of liberal democracy that gives power to the very extremists we all oppose by virtue of their minority status in a the view of democracy our govt has given them! (Seeing this firsthand as a person who lives overseas).

October 4, 2012 at 12:28 pm |

rcc1123

Lynn,
When has the US government ever cared about what the majority of American's want or need. It's all party line in the exceutive, legislative and judicial sections. Except maybe not congress; they would actually need to do SOMETHING to fit that description.

@jim111506 ask your mother, sister, or your girlfriend if you have one how many black men have they been with? Like the saying goes once you go black you don't go back ask your friend Sarah Palin who dated former NBA player Glen Rice.

Imperialistic Europeans, back in the 1950s and 60s it was vogue to think that all men were created equal and that black Africa could govern itself. Time has amply demonstrated the error of that theory. Please come back and subjugate us so that we may have stability and prosperity like you. We apologize for questioning your superiority.

Well, it's about time! O.K., we'll give you comfortable shoes and a warm place to use the bathroom, but we get your natural resources and cheap labor. Also, I insist on the "natives" smiling constantly, in utter subservience.

Maybe if the U.S. and NATO didn't support the Libyan Rebel forces (who were supported by Al' Qaeda and islamic radicals) this wouldn't be as bad. Not to mention supporting the Free Syrian Army, also backed by Al'Qaeda and other forgien islamic groups.

Muslims love Al Qaeda. They will do all the killing of their Muslims. Therefore, we Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Sikkhism, Hindus, and others do not have to do the dirty jobs anyway. Look at Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq today. And, keep Factories in China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand busy by making all kind of weapons for them.

Hello Jim, FYI, the Arabs will use and abuse them. However, the Natural Resources will go straight to the Factories in the Far East or Asia Pacific. Allah is great, keep Asia economy booming and more bombs for Muslims Countries.

October 4, 2012 at 9:18 am |

jim111506

That's O.K., Jack. First things first, and dealing with the nigra problem is at the top of my list. The world will be a better place without the nigra beast. Most people agree with me, but wouldn't dare admit it.

October 4, 2012 at 9:25 am |

Mark

Remember, Africa is one the areas that supply most of the world's diamonds. Diamond prices may rise now as a result of this.

October 4, 2012 at 11:14 am |

Johnathan

Hey Mark, you should do more research before looking really dumb.
Look up Canadian diamonds!

October 4, 2012 at 10:58 pm |

Mark

If that is the case, shouldn't it be the White Man that is leading this instead of AQIM. Afterall, isn't it always the White Man that oppresses the Black Man? That's what I always heear in rap music, BET, and Black Comedians.

Oh please, you don't listen to rap or watch BET. You people have delusions of grandeur. It's not 1950. Imperialism is dead. Europe's economic future is on life support. So much for being "superior" lol. You're living in the past just like the Muslims are living in the 14th century. Asia and Africa are the future.

October 4, 2012 at 3:04 pm |

MileHighSlade

Im thinking that I want to take a cruise on the "Atlanta" ocean for the "Sprang" break.

I see that the right-wing thugs in Washington are at it again, trying their best to scare the American people over this so-called "threat" in North Africa from Al Qaeda. Unfortunately, the people will be dumb enough to fall for it! The people need to be better educated so that jerks like Barack Obama and Mitt Romney couldn't get elected to the White House!!!

The so-called George Patton is going to explain the workings of the so-called religion of islame.
Come on G boy, tell us all about your bad day with the camels and the goats.
Tell us about being an idiot Pakistani piece of camel dung.

That is so ironic since that is exactly where China has been developing infrastructure, ports and commodities. Well, I guess we better setup Africom and focus militarily on Northern Africa to protect Americans. U.S. foreign policy?- wage war in any nation at any time in search of terrorists, or freedom fighters, depending on whether a U.S. puppet is in charge or not.

@jim111506 you are not very smart at all I would hate to see your parents they need help to Iisten up not smart Mitt made 13 million dollars last year how much you made trailer trash?

October 4, 2012 at 8:25 am |

jim111506

Do you dislike commas, thundercat 22, or are you merely semi-literate?

October 4, 2012 at 8:35 am |

Megan

Too bad Obama is up in the polls. Check your facts before you shoot off your mouth again.

October 4, 2012 at 9:58 am |

Seyedibar

Thank goodness people like you wear white sheets so you stand out.

October 4, 2012 at 9:14 pm |

pamik

After reading all these posts, no wonder the world's nations are at each other's throats all the time. What a bunch of sick people who can't agree on anything with each other. Everyone thinks they have the answer and won't listen to anyone else.

The Arabs are mad at us? i just don't get it.Maybe its the military bases we have all over their world.Even Pre-911.
Would we as Americans not freak out if say the Chinese,Arabs,Russians,North Koreans or anyone else had a military base in America?
Think people

Well posted, Huh? The problem here is that most people let the government do their thinking for them and therefor cannot make competent dicisions when they vote. We need to change our priorities in a very bad way!

@jim111506 you are a internet coward you want go to a black person and say anything because you're just like your kkk family cowards be a man and say it to a black person scarty cat.

October 4, 2012 at 8:39 am |

jim111506

Thundercat, take a breath and PUNCTUATE, you subhuman beast!

October 4, 2012 at 8:45 am |

Teufelhunden

9 times out of 10 the news is never reported accurately. You have a point–the media is not helping these issues. Being currently deployed to Afghanistan, looking at the news every day makes us (troops) feel like there is a wedge being put in between us and the American public. I see a Vietnam, Part 2, on the not-so-distant horizon. We continually fail to learn from our past.

What is so "good" about this? You must be mentally retarded; that is the only excuse for your ignorance. Hopefully you don't reside in the same country that I have devoted my life to serving. If so, I hope you are indiscriminately hunted down, thrown in jail, and repeatedly raped by the biggest inmate there. There is no room in this world for people like you. You should be hunted down and exterminated because you're a disease to all of humanity.

Obama has lost "his" was in Afghanistan and now he's injecting US Soldiers (our sons and daughters) into Africa's problems in an effort to become their saviour. Maybe he can go be their President because he sure isn't wanted here.

@jim111506 if you are so smart why are you a racist. You probably got your but kicked by a black person or persons and haven't gotten over it by the way you more likely are kin to a black person since your ancestors couldn't keep their hands off the black women.

"broad swathe of land in the north of AFRICAN stretching between the ATLANTA Ocean and the Red Sea..."
Wow. Lol. Where did this fool get educated? This is the kind of fine writing we expect from the highly educated and intellectual writers of CNN. LOL!

If modern civilization isn't nurtured in Africa, then the people of Africa will share the same fate as the Middle East. We all know these violent fundamentalist groups flourish in environments of poverty and lack of education.

@jim111506 you must don't have a life or job up at 3:50am posting oh I forgot you are rich like Mitten Romney. Are you collecting food stamps are you the 47% Mitt was talking about PLEASE GET A LIFE and remember the Indians are the native americans DON'T FORGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is their country before it was taking by WHO.

October 4, 2012 at 9:04 am |

jim111506

Thundercat, you're having a nigra meltdown or "chimpout." Go ask your mammy for some watermelon, and try to relax.

Country's are stupid enough, to allow the Arabs, Pakistani people, Iranian people, to come into our country's and live, while calling us every dirty name in the book. They are fools. They run around and kill people, who had nothing to do with that stupid video. I didn't even bother to look at it. Send all of those barbarians back to their own country's. Get our people out of their country's and, keep them out. Why in the hell do they come to our county's for anyway?

In Afghanistan, those evil disgusting monsters, have been beheading children. Get our people out of there. Let them go on, and kill each other off. They fight and kill each other. Tribe against tribe, Muslim against Muslim.

That's a stupid and bigoted comment. There's millions of Arab-Americans, Pakistani-Americans, Iranian-Americans, etc and they are patriotic law-abiding citizens. They are horrified by what goes on overseas, and thousands serve in the US armed forces to help stop it. Why do you hate your fellow Americans?

To the Idiots on this blog, like America is such a great country always putting down another country, but can't see their own faults and yes I always vote democrat. I'm not a party hopper, oh I vote for President Obama in 2008 and now I'm voting for Mrs. Mitt Romney you are confused. Run Obama Run.

All the above named organistions are natioinalist to core except shivsena headed by Thackreys who think Mumbai is their acquired prpety. All other organisations take Hindu line of thinking as so called secular leaders of other partes take a stand inimical to Hindu religion

"It is no secret that Hitler and his Nazi cronies sought inspiration from Indian extremist groups including the branding of his Nazi Party by adopting the Swastika, a traditionally Hindu symbol and representation of Hindu god Ganesha, as its marketing tool. The thesis being that like the Norwegian massacre the Jewish holocaust orchestrated by Hitler was inspired by the inherently violent cult of Indian Hindus and the manifesto of its then extremist/terrorist groups still in existence today. These groups are now the successors to and carrying out the vision of Al Qaeda all over the world albeit in a clandestine manner."

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CNN's Security Clearance examines national and global security, terrorism and intelligence, as well as the economic, military, political and diplomatic effects of it around the globe, with contributions from CNN's national security team in Washington and CNN journalists around the world.